Drum lifters and transporters are very common throughout the chemical, as well as other industries. However, prior to Applicant's invention, the process of moving a drum to be weighed on a scale was time consuming and hazardous. This process required that the drum be lifted and moved to the static scale, placed on the scale, weighed, lifted from the scale and moved to storage. This old process of moving the drum to a static scale generally involved the use of a fork lift truck or a two wheel industrial truck, each having certain disadvantages not found in Applicant's invention.
Moving the drum to a static scale with a fork lift truck involves the use of an expensive piece of equipment which has inherent maintenance problems along with other limitations. A certified fork lift truck operator is required in most jurisdictions and the hydraulics of a fork lift truck can easily be bent or otherwise damaged by a drum.
Furthermore, using a two wheeled industrial truck to move a drum to a static scale presents certain safety problems. A filled drum weighs approximately 500 pounds. A strong individual has to tip the drum so that the industrial truck can be inserted under the bottom of the drum. This procedure has resulted in many industrial injuries including lost fingers, cut or crushed toes, mangled arms and back problems. In addition, while moving a drum by this method, if the operator trips or falls, the drum is likely to fall on the operator with devastating results. Therefore, a need exists for an efficient and safe way to weigh and transport a drum.